Artists in Residence – Apply

Artists in Residence offers Primary and SEND schools in select London boroughs a 6 week creative residency during the summer term

We are currently accepting applications from Primary and SEND schools from the following London boroughs: Brent, Camden, Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets.


Deadline for applications is 10am on Monday 2nd March 2026.

How to apply

  • Please download and complete the Application Questions below.
  • Once completed, please fill in our quick Registration Form here, making sure you upload the Application Questions when prompted.

Participating Schools Receive

⭐ Two teacher spaces at our Teacher CPD Workshop, exploring creative approaches to the curriculum.

⭐ A Whole School Assembly kicking off the creative project.

⭐ An Animation, Drama or Spoken Word Poetry Artist in Residence at their school for 6 weeks, delivering interactive workshops supporting students to work towards a shared creative piece.

⭐ A final celebratory Creative Festival, hosted by their Artist in Residence, where all participating students will showcase their creative pieces to the wider school community.

⭐ Free resources and materials to support them with workshops and their Creative Festival.

Supporting materials

To apply for this programme, download and complete the Application Questions below.

Once completed, fill in the Registration Form, making sure to upload the Application Questions when prompted.

Frequently asked questions

Is my school eligible?

We accept applications from state or free primary and SEND schools from the following London boroughs: Brent, Camden, Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets.

For mainstream primary schools, this programme is aimed at KS2 classes.

For SEND schools, we work with talented SEND practitioners who are able to plan workshops to suit a wide variety of access and learning needs. This programme has been successfully delivered in a variety of education settings, and we would encourage anyone curious about how the project might work in their school to get in touch.

As a teacher, how will I be involved?

At the start of the programme, Eastside coordinates a Creative Planning Meeting for schools and artists to meet ahead of workshop delivery. This meeting is an opportunity to discuss your setting, students and any key school improvement goals and/or curriculum topics you would like the project to focus on. These meetings are typically 1 hour over Zoom, or in-person for SEND schools.

Teachers will also be invited to attend a Teacher CPD workshop, exploring creative approaches to the curriculum. This is usually 2-3 hours, after school.

Teachers will be required to liaise with Eastside and their artist to coordinate the 6 weeks of workshops, rehearsal week and Creative Festival in their school as part of the project. 

The Eastside team and the Artist in Residence provide schools and teachers with substantial support throughout the project.

How long does the programme last?

The programme runs across an 8 week period in school in the summer term, with the Creative Teacher CPD taking place beforehand.

In this time, your artist will deliver 5x interactive workshops and host your Creative Festival.

When is the application deadline?

The application deadline is 10am on Monday 2nd March 2026.

Got a question?

Feel free to reach out to our team below with any other questions you might have, or give us a ring to speak to us in person, on 020 7033 2380.

Our mission is to empower young lives and youth voice through participation in arts programmes.